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73. Oshra Yosef-Friedman
Deputy Director-General, The Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women
Respect
What it means?
Respect is the recognition and protection of human dignity. The most basic rights are the right to life and dignity. The right to dignity states that every person has the right not be subjected to degradation, disrespect, or abuse, the right to privacy and the right to not have false information published about them.
Respect involves acknowledging that every person has self-worth and should be treated as an end in themselves, not as a means to an end.
Why it matters?
Human dignity is a central value to Jewish culture, humanistic tradition, and is one of the fundamental values of democracy.
Humans are autonomous beings. When human autonomy is violated and a person is treated as a means to an end, human dignity is violated.
Human dignity has no price and should never be sacrificed for the sake of another value.
How can we promote it?
I grew up with the idea that everything begins with respect. Respect for others begins with respecting ourselves for who we are. When we show respect for each other, it can create a foundation for respectful, moral, patient and tolerant conversations. Respect allows us to show regard and consideration for others, even when they hold opinions that are different than our own.